


Don’t Leave Me Alone

by winterk723



Series: Avengers: Endgame Untold [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Dimensions, Canon Compliant, Happy Ending, M/M, Mild Language, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter is 18, Power Imbalance, Protective Tony Stark, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25015009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterk723/pseuds/winterk723
Summary: Peter Parker was gone. Trapped somewhere in the infinite dimensions.The Infinity Shards were gone. Lost along with him.Morana was gone. Biding her time until the day she could take her revenge.And Tony Stark was left with no idea how to fix it all.__________This is Part 2 of my first story “Because I Love You”. I highly recommend reading it before starting this one.Both stories are canon compliant with Endgame.
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark (past), Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Series: Avengers: Endgame Untold [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1843795
Comments: 27
Kudos: 69





	1. Impossible Promises

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! I’m back! I am so excited to start Part 2 of this story! 
> 
> For those of you who have not read “Because I Love You”, I seriously suggest that you do so before reading this! For those of you returning, thank you so so much for sticking around! 
> 
> Important Notes: I must highlight that Peter is 18 in this fanfic, even though the Snap places him biologically in his early 20s! This is not real life and I would not condone this relationship otherwise. 
> 
> Anyway... I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of the second story!! Please do not hesitate to leave kudos/comments! I love hearing them and they encourage me to get chapters out faster!

He cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly in the chair seated beside the small, white hospital bed. “So,” he started, trying to make conversation. Anything to rid the room of this uncomfortable silence. “How are you feeling?”

Strange looked at him, his expression void of emotion. “I’m still alive,” he deadpanned, clearly not flattered by his efforts.

Tony nodded, glancing around the room to avoid eye contact with the wizard. “Good to hear.” 

They descended into silence and Tony wanted to gouge his eyeballs out of his sockets. This was unbearable. How long did he have to keep up with the useless formalities?

Apparently not long. Huffing in exasperation, Strange asked, “What do you want, Stark?”

 _Oh, thank god._ “As much as it pains me to admit this,” Tony started. “You know more about the Infinity Stones than I do and I want you to tell me what happened to our little spider.”

“Ah,” Strange said, nodding his head in understanding. “I did hear about Mr. Parker’s fate. For what it is worth, I am truly sorry. He was a remarkable young man.”

Tony clenched the arm rests of the chair tightly, gritting his teeth. “He’s not dead. I just need to know where those damn shards sent him.”

“Then he might as well be dead,” Strange boldly stated, uncaring of the anger radiating from Tony. “The shards could have sent him anywhere. There are countless dimensions-millions of different realities not unlike our own. To try and find him would be like finding the world’s smallest needle in the universe’s largest hay stack.”

“I’ll bring a magnet,” Tony ground out.

Strange sighed, shaking his head. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”

“Peter was still wearing his suit when he vanished,” Tony explained. “FRIDAY can activate the tracker installed within it.” _As soon as I figure out how to do that_ , he silently added to himself, before continuing. 

“The only problem is, if there are so many different dimensions as you claim,” Tony continued, giving the wizard a pointed look. “Then the tracker will only show his location in relation to our dimension-I have no way of knowing which dimension he’s actually in. That’s why I need you.” The words pained him, but they were true. Strange was his one chance in finding Peter. They were dealing with different magical dimensions and mystical shards from the Infinity Stones-his technology could only go so far. 

Strange gave him a hard stare before saying, “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you, Stark. The only way to bring Mr. Parker back would be to travel to every single dimension-and there are infinite. You could spend the rest of your life searching and still might not ever find him.” He looked to the other man, allowing sympathy to show in his expression. “I know you love the boy, Stark. But he is gone.”

Tony stood abruptly from the chair, pushing the furniture back with a loud screech. He balled his hands into fists. “No,” he ground out, shaking his head vehemently. “I’ll find him. Bring him back.”

He stormed towards the door, yanking it open rather aggressively. “He’s not gone,” he said. And as he left the room and walked down the hallway, he replayed his words over and over in his mind.

 _He’s not gone._

_He’s not gone._

But Tony wondered if he was trying to convince the wizard or himself.  
____________________  
He collapsed onto the leather seats inside the car, rubbing his hands over his face. 

As soon as he had walked out of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, he was swarmed with flashing cameras and crowding reporters who were desperate to receive any information about what happened on the outskirts of New York City only two weeks ago. 

Fury had managed to keep the fact that there was another genocidal alien wandering around a secret from the public, but people knew that something was wrong. It wasn’t every day that the Avengers were called into action, after all. Someone was bound to connect the dots.

He sighed as Happy pulled out onto the street, entering the hectic traffic of New York City on a Friday afternoon. He leaned his head against the window, letting the cool surface ease his rapidly growing headache. Outside, the digital billboards replayed blurred footage of the fight against Morana that some idiotic passerby must have recorded on his phone. 

Tony had to look away when Spider-Man appeared on the screen. 

“Did the wizard tell you anything?”

He lifted his head and glanced towards the front seat where Happy was expertly maneuvering the car through the chaotic streets. “No.”

He turned and gazed back out the window, not really in the mood for conversation. 

Two weeks. Two weeks since the battle. Two weeks since Morana vanished without a trace. S.H.I.E.L.D. has been trying to track her down, but the alien seems to have completely disappeared. Tony knew that she would be back, though. The Avengers unintentionally destroyed the last remaining shards of the Infinity Stones-she would want revenge. 

And they had to be ready for her when she did. Something told him that Morana wouldn’t be pulling her punches. She’d be out for blood.

“What now, boss,” Happy asked, pulling him from his thoughts.

“...I don’t know.”

They passed a taxi cab. The ad carrier sign on the top of the car displayed an action shot of Spider-Man in all his web-slinging glory. His heart clenched tightly in his chest. 

Then, in a softer, quieter tone than he thought Happy to be capable of: “Are you alright?”

“No.”

It was a stupid question and they both knew it. 

Two weeks have passed since Peter disappeared along with the remnants of the Infinity Shards. In those two weeks, Tony has made almost no progress on discovering ways to bring his little spider home. 

He knew that Peter was still alive. And if he ever needed reassurance, he would have FRIDAY display the heart monitor installed within the Iron Spider suit and work to that steady beep for hours. Sometimes, it was the only thing that quieted his scattered thoughts and allowed him to focus.

But a hologram heartbeat wasn’t enough. He wanted the real thing. He wanted to feel Peter's warmth and see his smile and hear his laugh-not that he would share this with anyone. 

The Avengers knew he loved Peter. It was made pretty obvious when Morana tried to kill him after threatening the one Tony loved most. But the team thought that his relationship with Peter was purely platonic. Father and son. The only ones who knew the truth-that he became aroused whenever Peter said “sir”-was Pepper and Rhodey. And it had to stay that way for a while. Tony didn’t think the others would react well to the fact that he was in love with a boy practically a third of his age. 

Happy seemed to sense his reluctance to talk anymore about Peter and the rest of the ride back to the penthouse was relatively silent, aside from the occasional car horn of an aggravated driver.

The silence was shattered, however, when they reached the front of the building. The vehicle was immediately swarmed with reporters demanding answers that he couldn’t provide. They pressed their hands and faces against the glass. Their shouts filled his ears. The flashing lights from the cameras disoriented him.

He didn’t know what triggered it-maybe the roaring calls for him to shed light on Spider-Man’s recent disappearance. Maybe the banging on the windows when a reporter got too anxious. Maybe the intense light that shined in his eyes, making him feel as though he were under a microscope. Maybe a combination of all three. 

But it didn’t matter because he felt claustrophobic, the car’s small interior seeming to close in around him. His clothes were scratching against his skin and he clawed at them, feeling the perspiration form on his brow and the back of his neck. He gulped air down greedily, but it wasn’t enough. He gripped the seat, his nails digging into the leather in a vain attempt to ground himself to something real, but it was made difficult with his vision swirling in front of him in maddening spirals.

He felt trapped. 

Tony thought he heard Happy asking him if he was alright from the front seat, but he was too far gone to answer. He knew what this was. He hadn’t had one in years, but he knew what this was. It was a panic attack. 

He told himself to calm down. That he was fine. That this was fine. But voices, so many voices washed over him, flooding his mind and completely overwhelming him. 

_“All you do is put Peter in harm’s way so that he can fight your battles. It’s because of you that he was gone for five years. And it’s because of you that he even became a superhero in the first place…”_

Happy opened the door, placing a hand on his shoulder.

_“I like to believe that you are alive today for a reason. The world still needs Iron Man...”_

Cameras flashed in front of his face. He couldn’t see.

_“Tony, you’re not a god. You don’t have superhuman strength and you’re not invincible. You’re only human. Let the others take care of this. Stay here with your family. We need you…”_

He was ushered past the shouting reporters towards the doors. 

_“You don’t trust me. You treat me like a child. But I am an Avenger and I am_ stronger _than you. And I am tired of trying to prove it...”_

He pressed his head against the metal wall of the elevator.

_“Tony...”_

He could hear panicked voices.

_“It’s because I love you...” ___

__He couldn’t breathe. Fuck, he couldn’t breathe.  
____________________  
He didn’t know how long it was. It could’ve been minutes. Or hours. Or days. But when he finally managed to push the memories into the deepest recesses of his mind, he found himself sitting in his bathtub, the hot water pounding onto his back. He blinked rapidly through the spray, having no idea how he got there. _ _

__“You haven’t had one in years.”_ _

__He looked up to find Pepper standing above him, her arms crossed and a concerned expression on her face. “You always used to turn the water to the hottest setting and sit there for hours.”_ _

__He managed to find his voice, but it was haggard and broken. “...Yeah, well. Old habits and all that,” he said, chuckling._ _

__It was his pathetic attempt to lighten the mood, but Pepper saw straight through him. She always did. “Tony,” she sighed, rubbing her brow, no doubt soothing a migraine. “You can’t afford to spiral right now just because Pete-”_ _

__Pepper cut herself off, pursing her lips, but Tony knew what she was going to say. Everyone had been avoiding the words since that day as though he would suddenly snap. _Just because Peter is gone.__ _

__It was the same thing that had happened five years ago. They walked on eggshells around him when Peter turned to dust, as though Tony was fragile and could break at any instant. But it was different this time around. _He_ was different this time around. _ _

__Tony had ordered FRIDAY to lock up any and all alcohol. Under no circumstances was she to give him a single bottle. And he hasn’t gone to any bars. And he hasn’t stumbled back home with women draped over him in the early hours of the morning. And he wasn’t blacking out only to wake up in his own pool of vomit. Tony was fine._ _

__Sure, he was only getting an hour or two of sleep every night. And maybe he was spending a lot of time in his lab. And he might have missed a couple of meals. But he was fine. Really._ _

__“I’m not spiraling,” he defended himself, but the words felt like a lie._ _

__Pepper gestured towards him still sitting in the bathtub with the hot water seeping through his soaked clothes. “Then what do you call this?”_ _

__He pondered the question for a moment before stating, “The flu.”_ _

__“Is that what I’m supposed to tell the press,” she asked with her brow raised._ _

__He shrugged, not really caring. Let people think what they want. Having a mild panic attack certainly wasn’t the worst thing that he had been caught doing._ _

__Clearly Pepper disagreed. “Tony…”_ _

__“Seriously, Pep. I’m fine.” And he was. So what if he happened to skip some meals or work until four in the morning? It’s nothing that he hasn’t done before._ _

__To prove his point, he stood up, raising his arms in the air as if to say _See? I told you._ before turning the water off. Pepper said nothing and left with her lips pursed, allowing him to change out of his soggy clothes._ _

__Tony knew he hadn’t fooled her. But she must have seen the exhaustion under his eyes and decided to lecture him later, which he was thankful for. They might not be together anymore, but Tony cared for Pepper and was grateful that she still worried about him._ _

__He didn’t have many people these days he could say that about._ _

__He sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face to rid any remaining memories that were still floating around in his subconscious. He dragged himself out of the bathtub and found sweatpants and an old, faded t-shirt buried in the back of his closet. He peeled off the clothes he was currently wearing, tossing them in a heap on the floor, not caring if they created a puddle._ _

__Once dressed, he ventured into his living room and halted._ _

__“God. Please no,” he groaned dramatically when he saw Rhodey conversing quietly with Pepper. They were talking rapidly in hushed tones and if he had to guess, he was the subject matter. They stopped and looked up when he entered._ _

__“I already had the talk with Pepper,” he said, causing the woman to glare at him, which he pretended not to notice. “Don’t make me go through that again.”_ _

__Rhodey held up his hands as though in surrender. “She called me,” he said, his eyes filled with concern. “We're worried about you.”_ _

__He wanted to bash his head against a wall and Rhodey must have seen his exasperation. “You’re unhinged,” he said. “You’re not sleeping, you’re hardly eating, and you’ve been spending all of your time hiding out in the lab.”_ _

__Tony rolled his eyes and flashed a smirk, easily sliding back into his cool and collected facade he had mastered over the years as a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist. “Nothing I haven’t done before.”_ _

__Rhodey gave him a knowing look, one that said he didn’t believe any of the crap Tony was spewing and Tony understood why._ _

__Rhodey had been with him those first few months after the Snap. He had seen the dark place Tony went to when the kid was gone. Drinking himself into stupors only to empty the meager contents of his stomach hours later. Refusing to sleep, not wanting to be haunted by memories of Peter turning to dust in his arms. Coming home in the early morning, having no recollection of where he had been or who he had been with._ _

__It got better when he married Pepper and had Morgan, but he and Rhodey both knew that he was only trying to fill a hole that Peter Parker had left behind._ _

__So yes, Tony understood why Rhodey was giving him skeptical looks at his insistence that he was fine._ _

__“You’re hurting, Tony,” his friend said. “And I’m not going to pretend to know the pain you’re dealing with right now, but you have to talk to someone. If not me and Pepper,” Rhodey gestured to them both. “Then… maybe a professional.”_ _

__Tony immediately began to shake his head. “No. No way am I going to see a shrink. I’ve already tried that and it doesn’t work.”_ _

__He doesn’t want to say the reason-that no psychologist could possibly understand what he had gone through. That Peter was the one he talked to when he had a bad day and needed to let off some steam. That Peter was the one who understood him so completely. The only one who knew the deepest, darkest parts of him and didn’t turn away._ _

__“Tony…”_ _

__He could sense their pitiful gazes and he decided that he was over this conversation. “Thanks for your concern,” he said, walking towards the kitchen. “I would offer you both a drink, but FRIDAY threw away my stash.”_ _

__“Tony.”_ _

__“I have water, soda. I could try and make this kale smoothie, but last time I made it, I thought it tasted-”_ _

__“ _Tony_.”_ _

__He paused in his movements at the urgency in Rhodey’s tone. He looked to his oldest friend, bracing himself. “What if… what if you can’t bring him back?”_ _

__“I can.” That was his instant answer because there was no other he would accept. He was bringing Peter back. End of story._ _

__“This isn’t like the last time,” Rhodey explained, shaking his head. “The Infinity Stones are gone and Fury dismantled the time machine months ago. Even if you did rebuild it, he would never allow you to use it again.”_ _

__“I know that.” He had already played out this exact conversation in his head thousands of times in the past two weeks._ _

__“So what are you going to-”_ _

__“I don’t know,” Tony exclaimed, slamming his hand down on the marble countertops of the kitchen. The room descended into silence as he allowed his heart rate to slow. “I don’t know,” he repeated quietly, more to himself than the others in the room._ _

__“I don’t know how I’m supposed to move on knowing that Peter is still alive,” he whispered, his voice vulnerable and broken. “And if there is even the _slightest chance_ that I can get him back, then I am going to take it.”_ _

__His grip on the countertop tightened, his knuckles turning white as he made his promise. It was one he intended to keep._ _

___He didn’t care how many dimensions he had to travel to. He didn’t care how long it took. But he would never stop until Peter Parker was back home where he belonged._  
____________________  
“I’m back,” he called out in the spacious penthouse. 

__He kicked off his shoes and walked barefoot through the open-floor plan, dropping his bag somewhere in the hallway on his way to the bedroom._ _

__“Finally,” he heard a voice call from further inside the home. “It took you long enough.”_ _

__He smiled to himself at the impatience in the other’s tone. “Yeah, sorry about that. I lost track of time,” he replied, stepping inside the room. His grin widened at the figure laying on the comically large bed with a touch pad in his lap, hair wild and unkempt, no doubt a result of fingers being run through it several times._ _

__“That’s fine. How is Ned,” the man asked, setting down the Stark pad on the nightstand._ _

__He walked across the room, the hardwood floors cool underneath his bare feet. He collapsed onto the bed and laid right next to the other, loving the arm that automatically swung around him, pulling him closer. He played with the thick, calloused fingers that rested against his shoulder. “Great. He’s excited about his first semester at MIT,” he supplied._ _

__The other man raised his eyebrow at him. “Aren’t you,” he asked, to which he shrugged. “Yeah,” he answered. “But I’m going to miss you.” And he would. They would be apart for several months and the mere thought of it made his heart clench painfully._ _

__Seeing his glum expression, the older man leaned in and pressed his lips to his forehead before pulling away. “Don’t worry. I’ll have Happy drive you back here for the weekends.”_ _

__He smiled at that and snuggled further against the older man, the strong pounding of a heart beat comforting against his ear. The arm around him pulled their bodies closer together and he closed his eyes and enjoyed resting his head against the other’s chest. “Thanks,” he whispered, already feeling himself succumb to sleep._ _

__He felt a hand brush through his hair. “Anything for you, Peter.”_ _


	2. Don't Wake Me Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh! I am so so sorry to everyone I kept waiting with this chapter! Time got away from me, but I am back! Thank you to everyone who left kudos/comments so far and please keep doing so! Anyways... here's chapter 2 and it's a longer one! Yay!

He rolled over with a sigh and smiled when his arm hit a warm, muscular body. 

He immediately slid closer to the delicious heat next to him, wanting nothing more than to stay in that exact position for the entirety of the day. When his toes brushed against the other’s legs, he heard a sharp inhale followed by a huff. “Your feet are cold.”

Peter laughed softly, not wanting to disturb the peace of that moment. “Sorry,” he apologized, before attempting to move backwards. But an arm wrapped around his waist, trapping him against that solid heat he desperately craved. 

“Who told you to move?”

Peter’s smile widened as he burrowed his head against the other’s chest, feeling the arm tighten. 

The two stayed like that, curled up against each other on the comically large bed with the sun streaming through the curtains and the faint sounds of rush hour traffic hundreds of feet below them. Peter relished the tranquility. There were so few times when they were allowed it and he wanted to savor every second before inevitably-

“Sir, I regret to inform you that you have a meeting with the Board of Directors at noon. That is in twenty minutes.”

The two groaned simultaneously at the AI’s intrusion. “Thanks, JARVIS.”

Peter smiled at the other’s tone dripping with sarcasm. “It’s fine,” he said, slipping out of the bed, much to the other’s protests. “I said I would have lunch with Michelle anyway.”

“I still don’t think she likes me.”

Peter turned to look at the muscular figure still tangled within the bed sheets as he pulled on his own clothes. “That’s just because she doesn’t know you yet. She still sees you as the man who made billions selling weapons to the Department of Defense.”

The other raised his brow, doubtful. And Peter, now fully dressed, crossed the room and placed a light kiss on the older man’s lips, allowing the feeling to linger before pulling away. “She’ll come around.”

A large, calloused hand was placed possessively at Peter’s hip, keeping him close. That touch alone made him shiver. “She’ll have to because I have no intention of ever letting you go.”

A deep crimson blush spread across his face and he stole another quick kiss before whispering against the other’s lips, “I love you, Tony.”

The older man flashed a grin and it made Peter’s heart do interesting things inside his chest. “I love you, too.” 

And those words almost made him swoon. 

He stumbled towards the door and placed a hand on the knob, giving one last glance at Tony-still sprawled across the bed, arms stretched behind his head to showcase his musculature, and a large grin permanently plastered on his face. 

Peter was about to return the smile, but something gave him pause. 

He stared at the image in front of him intensely, scrutinizing it like one would a work of art. There was something… off. He looked at Tony’s face. At his warm, chocolate brown eyes. And he saw it. 

A shimmer. 

It was almost too quick to catch, but he was sure of what he had seen. It was as if he was looking at a printed photograph and the glossy sheen was reflecting light, creating a glare on the picture. 

And just as the light faded away, an image fluttered across his mind, almost too fast to really discern. 

Dust. Intense heat. Large metal debris scattered across the landscape. Someone leaning over him. A body of metallic red and gold… 

His brow furrowed and he shook his head before leaving the room, closing the door behind him and heading towards the elevator. 

What could that have been? Maybe he was imagining things. He and Tony _had_ spent a lot of hours working in the lab to create the upgraded version of the Stark HUD for the public release scheduled in a few months. Maybe he was just hallucinating from sleep deprivation. 

Yes. That had to be it. 

Peter rode the elevator down to the main lobby of Stark Tower, smiling politely towards the attendant at the front desk who returned the gesture instantly and uttered a pleasant, “Good morning, sir.”

Several employees passed Peter on his way to the exit and they smiled as well-some even went so far as to dip their heads as a sign of respect-much to his embarrassment. Peter would never get used to that. 

He understood why everyone was always so polite towards him. He _was_ dating Tony Stark after all and they had decided several months ago not to keep their relationship a secret. So it wasn’t exactly surprising when his boyfriend’s employees were being overly courteous towards him. 

Peter just wasn’t accustomed to all of the attention. He had grown up in Queens with his mother and father. They weren’t poor by any means, but he still hadn’t had a lavish lifestyle. He had worn second-hand clothing and slept in a small bed that squeaked when he moved. 

His parents were busy working, but they somehow always made time for him. When his mother and father returned home after a long and tiring day, they would go about making dinner for him in the kitchen, flooding the entire house with delicious scents of homemade cooking. Then, the three of them would sit at the dining room table and talk and laugh about anything and everything. 

He never minded the fact that his parents were constantly working because they still managed to spend time-however little-with him. He knew that they were providing for him as best they could and he loved them for it-still did. It was simply strange for Peter to be receiving _this_ much attention as he walked out of Stark Towers and towards the sleek, black car waiting for him parked on the street.

Another thing he had to get used to was the flashing cameras and shouting reporters that seemed to know exactly where he was every time he stepped outside. They all asked him the same questions-how long had he and Tony been dating, how had they met, and more recently-much to Peter’s embarrassment-if there was a potential wedding in the future. 

That particular inquiry made his heart pound loudly inside his chest and his cheeks heat in embarrassment. He always sputtered when a reporter shouted that question. The thought had crossed his mind once or twice, but he and Tony had never talked about the possibility of where their relationship was heading. Peter certainly wanted to spend the rest of his life with Tony, but who knew what the older man thought? 

And besides, he was only eighteen. He doubted that his parents would be overly pleased about him getting married so young. He supposed that people were asking about a wedding because he was the only one that Tony had ever dated longer than a month. The subject was bound to come up sooner or later. 

He sighed as Happy stepped out of the car and opened the door for him while simultaneously pushing the reporters back. He gave the man a grateful smile before entering the calm interior. 

“Where to,” Happy asked him, once inside as well. 

Peter gave him the directions to the small café that he and Michelle had agreed to meet and they pulled away, leaving the crowd behind them.  
____________________  
Peter grinned widely when he saw his friend already sitting down at a table outside. He raced over to her and collapsed in the seat across from Michelle just as a waitress appeared to take their orders. 

“Hey,” he greeted breathlessly, quickly browsing the menu.

“You’re late,” she said, with her eyebrow raised teasingly. “I can’t imagine why.”

Peter felt a blush rise to his cheeks. They both knew the reason for his tardiness. 

Ever since that fateful day a year ago when he and Tony had bumped into each other on the streets, the two were practically inseparable. They had only made their relationship known to the public recently, but Peter had told his two best friends, Michelle and Ned, about Tony long before the big press release.

His friends were shocked to say the least, that he was dating one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, but they eventually came around after insisting to meet with Tony and seeing how much the older man truly cared for Peter.

Now, Ned and Michelle took great pleasure in teasing him about his relationship every chance they got. 

“So, how is Tony doing these days,” Michelle asked with a knowing smirk.

Peter gave a sheepish smile before answering, “U-Um, good. Yeah, he’s. W-We’re good.”

She looked at him intently. “That’s it?”

“What were you expecting,” he asked, scrunching his brow in confusion.

“I heard a rumor that he was planning to pop the question.”

His eyes bulged out of his sockets as Michelle casually took a sip of her lemon water. “W-What? A-Are you serious? H-How did you-”

His friend shrugged. “Apparently someone saw him walking out of Harry Winston’s last week,” Michelle paused for dramatic effect, enjoying the sight of Peter practically having an aneurysm. “Carrying a small bag.”

He swallowed nervously and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. His breath was coming out in short, rapid bursts and he felt lightheaded. 

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god,” he mumbled over and over again. 

“Relax,” Michelle said to him, taking a bite out of a sandwich that had been placed in front of her. “You don’t know that he bought an engagement ring. It could’ve been something else.”

Peter nodded rapidly, trying to talk himself down from the panic attack he could feel rapidly approaching. 

“Y-Yeah. You’re p-probably right.”

“Of course I am.”

He heaved a deep breath before looking back to his friend. “So,” he said, switching topics, not wanting to think about the possibility of Tony proposing to him. “Have you found a roommate yet?”

Michelle rolled her eyes in disgust. “I don’t understand why my parents are forcing me to get a roommate. I’d much rather be by myself.”

He huffed a laugh. “I think that’s why they want you to get a roommate.”

“Whatever.”

They both laughed and the rest of the lunch was spent with amicable conversation. Peter cherished it. 

Michelle would be going off to Harvard in a few weeks and then he could only see her every couple of months. He would have Ned with him at MIT, but it wouldn’t be the same without Michelle. He would miss their witty banter and her humorous sarcasm. He would miss her. 

And it felt as though their lunch was over far too soon, but they both promised to keep in touch as often as possible. 

After a reluctant hug from Michelle, he climbed back inside the car, waving goodbye to his friend as Happy pulled back out onto the street. 

“Any other stops today,” the older man asked from the front seat. 

“Just to my parent’s house, please.” Then, as an afterthought, “Sorry you had to wait that long,” Peter apologized to Happy, feeling guilty.

His relationship with Tony’s driver wasn’t exactly a friendly one. Peter sensed that Happy was disgruntled having to drive a teenager all over New York City, but Tony had ordered the man to take Peter anywhere he needed to go, much to Peter’s protests. 

In the end, nothing he said could change Tony’s mind and here they were, several months later, with Happy driving to his parent’s house. 

As he looked out the window, watching cars race past, Peter wondered absentmindedly when he stopped calling his parent’s house “home”. It was the place he had grown up. Where he pretended to be a superhero in the backyard. Where his father read him bedtime stories even after a long shift. Where his mother sang to him softly after a particularly terrifying nightmare. But despite all of that, when he closed his eyes and thought of home, there was only one thing that came to mind-or rather, one person. 

_Tony_.

Tony was his home.

Just the thought of him brought his mind back to his conversation with Michelle. Would Tony really ask Peter to marry him? It’s not that he didn’t want to-he had imagined it in his romantic fantasies occasionally-but never did he think that it could actually happen. 

Peter was still young and they had only been together for a year. Sure, that was four times longer than any of Tony’s past relationships, but it felt too soon. Peter wanted to take his time. He didn’t want to rush into things simply because the public was expecting it. If they were going to get married, Peter wanted it to be on their terms-no one else’s.

Still… the thought of spending the rest of his life with Tony made his heart do interesting things inside his chest. 

Peter had a smile plastered on his face when the car stopped on the side of the street in front of a house he knew all too well.

“Thanks,” he said to Happy, who nodded in acknowledgement. 

Peter wasted no time in hopping out of the vehicle and dashing to the front door. He didn’t bother knocking because his parents were expecting him. He had called earlier saying that he would come by just to grab some clothes after meeting with Michelle. 

He went inside, instantly feeling at ease in the familiar house. The cluttered shoes at the entryway. The dozens of family photos displayed on the coffee table. The faint smell of baked cookies floating in the air. This was the place where he had spent his entire childhood.

“Mom? Dad,” he called out as he slid off his shoes and threw them on the pile beside the door. 

“In here,” he heard a reply. 

Peter followed the voice to the kitchen where he found his parents sitting at the small island table, both holding cups of coffee.

When he entered, his mother stood up and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug that he returned enthusiastically. 

“I feel like we haven’t seen you in so long,” she said as she brushed her hand over his hair, trying to smooth down his wild strands with little success. 

He felt a hand clap him on the shoulder and heard his father voice from behind him, “It certainly has been awhile.”

When he pulled away from his mother, he gave them both an embarrassed smile. “S-Sorry,” he apologized. “I-I’ve just been… busy.”

His parents exchanged knowing glances and he felt his cheeks heat. 

They both knew about his relationship with Tony and although they weren’t exactly thrilled by the idea of him dating a man more than twice his age and a known playboy, they couldn’t deny that Peter was practically glowing every time they saw him. 

“Do you have everything you need for college,” his mother asked as they sat down at the kitchen island. “If there’s anything else you need, we can get it for you.”

Peter immediately shook his head. “N-No. I-I’m good.” 

Peter didn’t tell his reasoning behind turning down her offer-that he didn't want his parents buying anything for him because he knew that money was tight. He also didn’t tell them that Tony had already bought him a whole new wardrobe, along with the latest Stark phone and laptop models for college. He didn’t want to make his parents feel like they weren’t providing for him when they already had given him so much. 

“So,” his mother said, tapping the side of her coffee mug as casually as possible and Peter sighed internally-he knew what she was about to ask. “We heard an interesting rumor earlier this week. Do you have anything you want to tell us?”

“No, Tony has not proposed,” he said, unsure if he was relieved or disappointed with the statement. 

“Good,” his father said, and Peter looked at the older man incredulously who only shrugged. “You’re too young for that.”

“But it doesn’t mean that we don’t want it to happen someday,” his mother interjected kindly. “Just… not now.” 

Peter smiled at his parents, enjoying this moment with them, memorizing every detail. His father’s dark, wavy hair. His mother’s kind smiles. Both of their warm, brown eyes. 

He frowned.

There it was again. The shimmer. 

But it was more obvious this time. Instead of a glare on a photograph, it was like the sun’s brilliant reflection on the water directly hitting his eyes. He had to squint against the bright light. 

What was going on? Was he imagining things? Was he going insane? His parents continued smiling at him. They didn’t even seem to realize that he had put a hand in front of his eyes to block the light. 

His mother opened her mouth to talk, but Peter couldn’t hear the words coming out. He leaned in closer. “What,” he asked, but she didn’t acknowledge his question-just kept on moving her lips like he wasn’t even there. 

He pushed his chair back, the furniture clattering to the ground behind him, but he paid it no mind. He waved his arms in front of his parents, neither of them blinking or signaling that they had even noticed his frantic movements. 

He reached out to put a hand on his father’s shoulder, planning to shake him vigorously to snap him awake from whatever stupor he was currently suffering from. But when his hand should have touched flesh and muscle, it touched air instead.

Peter’s eyes widened in horror as his fingers swept through his father as though he were a hologram. He attempted the same thing with his mother and achieved the same results. He could feel his entire body trembling and his heart was pounding wildly. There was something seriously wrong. 

And then the images returned, but they were more forceful, completely blocking out his vision. 

_People dressed in black. Two gravestones. Pouring rain. A woman whispering, “You’ll be staying with us now, Peter…”_

Another image.

_A lab room with white walls. A glass container. A spider. Then blinding pain. Fire coursing through his blood…_

Another image.

 _A man sitting beside him. Excitement and anxiety flooding him. A familiar voice. A hand landing on his shoulder…_

The images continued to pour through him and he squeezed his eyes shut as though that would stop them. He didn’t understand what was happening to him. 

These flashes felt so familiar. Places he recognized, but couldn’t name. Feelings he remembered, but couldn’t place. Voices he knew, but couldn’t assign. 

They were almost like memories… but that would be impossible. He never lived through any of that. He knew his life and it did not consist of alien landscapes and somber funerals and laboratory spiders. 

His first instinct was to run to Tony. And Peter did just that. 

He flagged down a cab, not wanting Happy to see him in this state, lest he alert Tony to his current dilemma. After telling the driver to go to Stark Towers and to hurry, he texted Tony, letting the man know that he would be coming to which he got an immediate response of _great_. 

Peter didn’t want to tell Tony over the phone what was happening to him. He wasn’t even sure that he could explain it properly. He didn’t even know what “it” was.

How do you tell someone that your parents became holograms and now you’re beginning to see images of things that you’ve never seen before, but feel so familiar?

His knee bounced anxiously in the seat as they neared Stark Towers. Peter dashed out of the car as soon as they pulled up to the entrance, throwing cash back into the vehicle as he raced up the steps and through the glass doors. 

Peter ignored the pleasant greetings and smiles he received in the main lobby. He used his ID badge that Tony had given him to use the private elevator that would take him all the way up to the penthouse where he knew the older man would return to after his meeting with the Board of Directors.

He tapped his foot nervously as he watched the elevator pass floor after floor. Once he heard the soft _ding_ he practically pushed the doors open and tumbled into the penthouse. He wanted to explain to Tony what was going on as soon as he entered the familiar space, but his thoughts came to a screeching halt once he saw what was sitting on the end table in the living room.

A small bag from Harry Winston’s. 

His heart had stopped beating for a moment, only to start up again at a rapid pace. He took hesitant steps towards the bag, as though he was drawn to it. Peter reached his hand out, hoping for a chance to see what was inside…

But Tony walked in and he jumped back instantly, blush rising to his face at having been caught.

“Oh, you’re here already,” Tony said, stepping up to Peter and placing a light kiss on his lips as a way of greeting, but Peter didn’t feel it. His entire focus was on that small bag. 

Tony pulled back and followed Peter’s intense gaze to the object in question. “Damn, I forgot to hide that,” he said. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“A s-surprise,” Peter echoed, feeling dizzy.

Tony gave him a strange look before saying, “Yeah, a surprise. There’s an event coming up and I thought you might want it.”

“U-Um. An e-event?” 

Peter bit his lip as he watched Tony grab the bag. When the older man pulled out a black, velvet box, he almost fainted right then and there. 

The world was moving in slow motion as Tony slowly opened the lid and…

Not an engagement ring, but a watch. 

Peter let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and smiled as Tony pulled out the timepiece to show to him. 

It was beautiful. The strap was made from black pearl leather and the case was a white gold. Black jade, mother-of-pearl, and diamonds set in layers, created a hypnotizing geometric design. Peter absolutely loved it and didn’t want to think about how expensive this one watch must have cost Tony. 

“There’s this function I have to go to next week,” Tony explained as he grabbed Peter’s wrist and put the watch on, his fingers brushing over his skin in the most pleasing of ways. “It’s to promote the new Stark HUD.”

“But the public release isn’t for another couple of months,” Peter whispered, his eyes fluttering closed at the feeling of Tony’s hand on him. 

“This is just to promote it. But because you helped me create the Stark HUD, I thought that you should come with me.”

Peter’s eyes flew open as he looked at Tony. “You want me there with you?”

Peter going there as the older man’s date would mean something. Tony had always been seen with both men and women at parties, bars and everything in between. But never had Tony brought a date to a function for Stark Industries. He always showed up alone. 

Peter going with him would mean something. 

“Of course,” Tony said immediately, no hint of reservation in his features. “Of course I want you there with me...”

Peter was so overwhelmed. He didn’t know what to say, but he knew what to do. 

He threw his hands around Tony’s neck and pressed his lips against him, smiling when he heard Tony groan. The older man wrapped his arms around Peter’s waist and pulled him closer, their kiss deepening. Their tongues explored each others’ mouths as their hands did their bodies and Peter could honestly say that he had never been happier in his life. 

But that’s when things went horribly wrong. 

Before he knew what was happening, a bright light encompassed everything, blinding him. Peter stumbled backwards, falling down onto what he assumed was the tiled floor of the penthouse, but he could no longer see to confirm that suspicion.

Then the images came pounding into his head, so fast that he could barely discern one from the next. Flickers of horrifying aliens and men made of metal and… glowing shards? The images poured over him until he was drowning.

He screamed for Tony, begging him to do something, but he received no reply. Peter had a sickening thought that perhaps the older man had left him alone to be tortured by these brief flashes of pain and suffering and death. 

He curled himself into the tightest ball he could and covered his head with his hands and wished for everything to end.  
____________________  
It felt like hours had gone by before the images slowly ebbed away, leaving him numb and practically catatonic. 

He hesitantly opened his eyes and seized up in fear when the world was black. 

He scrambled to his feet and stared in horror as he couldn’t see anything but a dark oblivion surrounding him. Was he dead? Had he died and he was now in the afterlife? 

“Hello,” he called out anxiously. “Is anyone there?”

Once the words left his mouth, a dim glow appeared in the distant inky darkness and he stumbled towards it, unsteady on his feet. 

As he drew closer, the light grew and began to separate until he could see different colors hovering in front of him. Six, to be exact. 

He was no more than a foot away when Peter saw that the glow was originating from what looked to be glass shards. He scrunched his brow in confusion and circled around them. What was this all about?

_“...ter…”_

There was a voice just then-it was faint, but it was distinctly familiar. He frantically whirled around, searching for another soul in this dark oblivion. There was no one else there but him.

He heard the voice again, this time louder, and turned to the glass shards floating in front of him.

One of the shards in particular-the one giving off a yellow glow-seemed to be shining brighter than the others and he took a step closer unthinkingly, as though he were drawn to it.

_“Peter…”_

He knew that voice like he knew his own name. _Tony_.

He leaned in further. 

_“Mr. Stark…”_

Peter jumped at the sound of his own voice coming out of the glass shard. 

_“I can help. You know I can…Why won’t you let me...”_

Those words… he had said them before. But where?

 _“Because…_

He sucked in a breath when Tony began to speak again. 

_“Because I can’t lose you again…”_

Peter took another step, as though he were put under a trance. 

_“You died in my arms, kid. I had to watch you turn into dust. I had to wait_ five years _to get you back. Don’t ask me to go through that again. I can’t…”_

He reached out a hand and before he could think better of it, his finger touched the cool surface and that was when his head erupted as his life came flooding back into his mind. 

His parents dying, being bitten by a spider, Civil War, the Vulture, Thanos’ army, the Snap, the Infinity Shards, Morana-he remembered all of it. 

And that’s when he felt a pressure building around him, pushing down on his body and making it difficult to breathe. He tried to suck in air harshly and he collapsed onto his hands and knees. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut. 

Once the pressure became absolutely unbearable and he was wishing for the pain to end, there was a loud pop-like a cork being pulled out from a bottle of wine-and the pressure was gone.

Peter opened his eyes.  
____________________  
“Strange,” he said, not bothering to keep the irritation from his voice. “I got your message. This better be good because I can think of about a million different things I would rather be doing than sitting here with you.”

The wizard for his part, didn’t seem offended by Tony’s commentary. “I’ve been thinking about young Mr. Parker’s dilemma. I might be able to narrow down the possible dimensions he could be in.”

Tony raised an eyebrow and gave a flourish of his hand. “Well, don’t stop on my account. What did you have in mind?”

Strange straightened himself within the hospital bed and said, “What were Mr. Parker’s last words before using the shards?”

“I don’t see how that’s relevant,” Tony deflected, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. He was not in the mood for a heart-to-heart with the wizard. And even though most of the Avengers were there that day and they all heard what Peter had said (even though they didn’t realize the true meaning of his words) Tony still felt that the precious words were private-meant only for his ears. He didn’t want Strange of all people to hear them. 

“It is no secret to me that you and Mr. Parker have romantic feelings for each other,” Strange said with an exasperated sigh. “Anyone with eyes could see it. Although, I am baffled as to how your teammates have not realized it by now.”

Tony blinked, the biggest reaction he was willing to show. “What does that have to do with anything,” he acquiesced. He didn’t see the point in trying to deny what the wizard had said. 

“Well, I heard that Mr. Parker had professed his feelings towards you right before he used the shards.”

“And,” Tony prompted, wanting this conversation to be over.

“ _And_ ,” Strange continued. “Although Mr. Parker wanted to use the power of the shards to defeat Morana, I believe he wanted something even more.” The wizard gave Tony a pointed look who only let out an exasperated sigh. 

“This is all very fascinating, but can you get to the point?”

Strange muttered something unintelligible, but Tony chose to ignore it. “The shards only do what the user wants them to,” the wizard explained. “Although Mr. Parker wanted Morana to be destroyed, I believe he unintentionally sent himself to another dimension-one where he could have the thing he wanted most.”

Tony furrowed his brow as he began to understand what Strange was implying. “So, you’re saying that Peter accidentally sent himself to a dimension where he and I were…”

He trailed off, not sure if he wanted to finish that sentence. Did Peter really want whatever this was between them so desperately that he actually sent himself to an alternate reality? 

Not for the first time, Tony wanted to smack himself for being such an idiot. He should have accepted his feelings towards Peter sooner. They could have been together. Peter could have been happy. Instead, Tony pushed him away. Lied to him. Made him doubt himself again and again. And because of that, Peter snapped himself to another dimension. 

Tony shook his head, focusing on the task in front of him. “So, how many different dimensions are there?” _Where Peter and I are in a relationship_ , was what he left unsaid, but Strange knew without him having to finish the thought.

The wizard closed his eyes briefly before blinking them open. “4,602,305 dimensions,” he stated evenly and at the other man’s bewilderment, Strange added, “It seems that you and Peter were meant to be together.”

Tony wasn’t sure how to process that information. The idea that he and Peter were destined to be together sounded ridiculous, like a line straight out of a corny romance novel. And the thought that there were 4,602,305 other dimensions where he and Peter _were_ together left him feeling bitter and jealous. Why the hell was he not in one of those dimensions?

“I’m sorry I cannot be of more help,” Strange said, effectively ending Tony’s envious pouting of other Tony Starks. “I will let you know if I think of anything else.”

He nodded and stood up, his tired and sore joints cracking with the movement. He hadn’t slept in a while. 

Tony was about to turn the handle on the door and leave the room when the wizard's voice stopped him. “I know you wish that you were in another dimension,” Tony didn’t have it in him to be surprised that Strange knew what he was thinking. “But I believe you will be rather pleased with how this one ends.” 

He scoffed and closed the door. He knew Strange could see the many possible futures, but if the past couple of months were any example, his odds were not very favorable. He didn’t see how there was any variation of the future that he could be “pleased with”.

Peter was gone. Trapped somewhere in the infinite dimensions.

The Infinity Shards were gone. Lost along with him. 

Morana was gone. Biding her time until the day she could take her revenge.

And Tony was left with no idea how to fix it all.

He sighed as he walked out of S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters and approached the car waiting to take him back to Stark Towers. He wanted nothing more than to take a shower with the water on its hottest setting and let the scalding spray distract him from the complete chaos that was his life. But of course, he never got anything he wanted. 

His phone rang. 

He cursed under his breath as he wrenched the thing out of his pocket and rolled his eyes when he saw the caller ID. 

“I am not in the mood for another lecture about how I need to open up,” he said as soon as he accepted the call.

Silence and then, “...Tony.”

His irritation faded when he heard Rhodey’s voice, filled with amazement and incredulity. “What,” he demanded instantly. “What is it?”

“...It’s Peter.”

Tony dropped the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, to all of you who have been waiting patiently for Peter and Tony to FINALLY get together, I can say with confidence that it is going to happen VERY SOON *wink wink*!! Please don't hesitate to leave comments and kudos, I love hearing what everybody thinks! I hope to have chapter 3 out within the next two weeks, so hang in there! Until next time!


	3. A Long Time Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I’m posting earlier than I expected, but I was just so excited for this chapter that I couldn’t wait!! That being said, I must warn all readers that there is EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT in this chapter and if you do not wish to read, then DO NOT READ! And for those of you who are willing to read, please go easy on me because this is my first time writing anything like this! Yikes! But let me know what you all thought! I love comments/kudos! Anyways...on with the show!

He ran into the living room, his eyes wild and frantic as they searched the faces of those standing before him, all showing expressions of concern that did nothing to calm the anxiety raging within him.

“Where is he,” Tony demanded, rounding upon the first Avenger he saw which happened to be Bucky. “Where is Peter,” he growled into the other man’s face.

The Winter Soldier-to his credit-remained stoic and only blinked. It was the most emotion he would allow to express his concern for the young spider. 

“Tony,” his best friend called out, causing him to whirl around. “He’s fine.”

At those words, the growing anxiety eased, but not the desperate need to see the young man. Tony ran his hands through his hair as he sagged onto the nearest piece of furniture. “What happened,” he asked, his voice sounding haggard. 

“We’re not sure,” Bruce spoke up, taking off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. “He has hardly told us anything.”

“All we know is that FRIDAY suddenly received a transmission call from KAREN,” Rhodey explained. “And then Peter’s voice was over the comms. Apparently, he just reappeared on that field outside of the city.”

Tony glared up at the ceiling, royally pissed off at his AI. “FRIDAY, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you said for me not to disturb you during your meeting with Stephen Strange and that if I did, you would put me on mute,” informed the AI. “I was following _your_ orders, boss.” He could detect the impertinence in her tone and made a mental note to change that the next chance he got. 

But right now, he needed to see Peter.

He made a move to stand up, but Rhodey’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “What,” he said in a quietly dangerous tone, turning his head to glare coldly at the other man. 

“Give him some time,” Rhodey urged. “He just got back from an entirely different _dimension_. We have no idea what he’s been through.”

Tony shrugged off the shoulder, taking a step closer to the hallway where the bedrooms were located. “I don’t care. I need to see him.”

“Well, he doesn’t want to see you.”

Tony halted in his footsteps and pivoted slowly as the room descended into silence. He turned his icy cold gaze towards the Winter Soldier. “What did you say?”

Bucky shrugged, uncaring that Tony’s entire world was crashing down around him. “He doesn’t want to see you right now.”

And those words pierced his heart harder than any shrapnel ever could. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“Tony,” Sam stepped in before things could get out of hand. “He just needs time. We don’t know what happened to him.”

He remained silent, not knowing what to say. Why didn’t Peter want to see him? Tony had been losing his mind for these last couple of weeks without seeing that goofy smile or hearing that contagious laughter echoing throughout the space. He had missed Peter _so fucking much_ and now that he was finally back where he belonged, Tony couldn’t see him? 

“Give him time,” Rhodey said, seemingly answering his question. “He’ll come around.”

Time. Tony nodded, reassuring himself. He could do that. He could give Peter time. He would give Peter however long he needed because when it came to that kid, there was nothing Tony wouldn’t do for him.   
____________________  
Peter listened to the conversation taking place only a few feet down the hallway. 

He sighed. What had his life become?

When he had opened his eyes only a few hours ago, he found himself on a familiar field on the outskirts of a very familiar city. His heart was pounding wildly inside his chest and he felt disoriented and confused. 

It was as though his mind was at war with itself. He had two different sets of memories. Two different lives. And he was trying to decipher which was real and which was fake and it was impossible to grasp the concept that he had been in an _alternate dimension_ when it felt like he had lived there for his entire life. 

So was any of that real? Or was it all inside his head? And if it was, where did his body go while he was imagining all of that? And how did he get back? Or did he ever really leave? 

This was insane. He was more confused now than when he turned into dust for five years and came back to life looking the exact same as when he died to fight an enormous alien army to save the universe. 

Peter shook his head. He had to focus. At least he was wearing the Iron Spider suit. 

“KAREN,” he called out hesitantly, hoping his AI was still operational. 

“Yes, Peter?”

He breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her soothing voice inside his suit. “What is today’s date?” 

He was scared to ask, but he had to know how much time had passed. What if he was gone for another five years? What if it was longer than that? What if he was hundreds of years into the future and all of the Avengers were dead and Tony-

“It is August 15th, 2023.”

Only a few weeks had passed? But it felt like a lifetime. He had all of these memories of his parents, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Ned, Michelle, Tony-

But none of it was real. His parents were dead. His uncle was dead. Ned and Michelle were going off to college. And Tony was-

His throat constricted painfully as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. He and Tony weren’t together. Not in this dimension. He and Tony hadn’t been dating for a year. They hadn’t been spending his senior year of high school taking trips around the world and going out on dates and kissing and-

He covered his mouth with his hand, the taste of bile on his tongue. He and Tony had _done things_ -not sex, but… things. But none of those things were real. But they _felt real_. Peter remembered the nights vividly. Every searing kiss and exquisite touch. But none of it had happened in this dimension. How could he possibly look _this_ Tony in the eye after having fooled around with another man that looked exactly like him, but wasn’t him?

He retracted the mask from his suit and hunched over, spilling the contents of his stomach onto the ground, gasping for air. 

“You’re heart rate has accelerated rapidly, Peter,” KAREN informed him. “I suggest taking calm breaths to relax.”

He gave a weak smile. “Thanks, KAREN.”

“Would you like me to contact Tony Stark and alert him to your location?”

His eyes widened in alarm and he shook his head frantically. “ _No_. N-No, definitely not.” He didn’t think he would be able to face the man.

His brow scrunched together in concentration, thinking of a solution that didn’t involve him having to look at Tony. “KAREN. Can you contact FRIDAY?”

“Of course.”

It was only a few seconds after the response when he heard a familiar Irish accent inside his suit. “Hello, Peter. It is good to hear from you.”

He smiled as he asked, “Can you call Colonel Rhodes for me, FRIDAY? So I can let him know I’m alive?”

“Certainly, Peter.”

After a very confusing and slightly awkward conversation with War Machine in which he convinced the astonished man of his resurrection, a jet was sent to his location and he was flown back to Tony’s penthouse where the Avengers were waiting for him. 

He was grateful that Tony himself wasn’t there. He needed time to process everything that had happened. To sort out which memories were real and which were fake. He wasn’t even sure if the fake memories were actually fake because they _seemed real_ and he wasn’t sure if he wanted them to be or not. 

Peter had asked the Avengers there to let him rest for a while. He must have looked like an absolute wreck because they granted him the time he needed, no questions asked. He also told them that he didn’t want to see Tony, to which he received concerned gazes, but he didn’t care. He was too tired to care. 

So now, here he was. Listening to the voices down the hallway, struggling not to cry when he heard Tony ask for him. In the other dimension, he would have run to him happily and enjoyed the way the man wrapped his arms around him. In the other dimension, Tony would have brushed away any stray tears with his lips and whisper sweet nothings into his ear until the early light of dawn. But this was not that dimension. 

Here, there were uncertainties and risks and dangers and he didn’t know how Tony felt about him. Here, they weren’t together. 

And that physically pained him.   
____________________  
 _Five days_. Five fucking days he waited. 

Every time he had even broached the subject of seeing Peter, he was immediately shut down by his so-called “teammates”. 

They had all been given the opportunity to meet with Peter and find out what had happened when he disappeared. And whenever Tony asked them to relay the information, he was given pitying looks and told that Peter needed some more time. 

Fine. He would give Peter more time. And he would spend that time imagining his teammates’ heads exploding with his newly improved repulsor rays. 

But no matter how much satisfaction he experienced when fantasizing about blowing up his teammates, Tony still felt the desperate need to see Peter. He had been losing his mind these past couple of weeks not knowing what had happened and now that Peter was only a few feet away behind a closed door, he really thought he was going to go insane. 

Two minutes. That’s all he really needed. Just to see that Peter was alive and unharmed. Because no matter how many reassurances he received from Rhodey or Bruce or any of the others that Peter was fine, he needed to see it for himself.

So, after the fifth day of being told that Peter just needed more time, Tony had had enough. 

The other Avengers had all insisted on staying at Tony’s penthouse for the foreseeable future just to ensure that Peter continued to be fine, even though they all had their own personal accommodations at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters. Because of this, Tony had to wait for the others to wander back to their respective guest bedrooms after dinner that night before enacting his plan. 

He waited several minutes longer just to be safe and then asked in a whisper, “FRIDAY, is everyone asleep?”

Sensing his hushed tone, the AI also responded softly, “Yes, boss. Everyone is asleep except for Peter.”

“Good.”

He crept quietly down the hallway, being careful not to make any noise, knowing that Bruce and Clint were particularly light sleepers. He didn’t want to wake anyone up and have to explain why he was sneaking around in his own home.

He approached the room he knew Peter was staying in. Tony had designated that guest bedroom as Peter’s years ago when the kid was working with him in the lab into the late hours of the night. A small smile tugged at his lips when he recalled those memories. 

He stopped outside the door and could see light spilling into the hallway from inside the room. Tony sucked in a deep breath, suddenly nervous, and knocked a short rap on the door. 

“Come in.”

Those two words wrenched the air from his lungs and shattered any cohesive thoughts from his mind completely. He knew that voice better than he knew his own name. He had imagined that voice in his most tantalizing dreams. He had waited for what seemed like an eternity to hear that voice again.

With trembling hands, he turned the knob and slowly stepped inside the room and-

Peter. 

There he was. Laying on the bed, a phone in his hand, eyes skimming over the screen, completely unknowing of who exactly had walked into his bedroom. 

Tony didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or scream or cry or sing. Maybe all four. But it didn’t matter because Peter was _there_ and he wasn’t going anywhere and maybe he could fix whatever was happening between them and-

“Hey Wanda,” Peter said, without looking up from his phone. “Do you want to watch another episode? We’re almost at the season finale and-”

Tony stopped breathing. He stopped moving altogether when Peter happened to look up from the screen and finally realized who was standing in front of him. 

Their eyes met. 

Tony almost fell to his knees. He had missed Peter so _goddamn much_. Tony missed his warm, chocolate brown eyes that he could get lost in. He missed his wild, soft curls that could not be tamed. He missed his wide, infectious smile that could melt his heart. He missed _Peter_.

When several minutes had passed and neither of them had spoken, Tony cleared his throat to ease the tension in the room and hesitantly said, “H-Hey.”

“U-Um. H-Hi, Tony. I-I mean, um… M-Mr. Stark.”

Tony huffed a pathetic excuse for a laugh and shoved his hands in his pockets for a lack of anything else to do. He stood in the room awkwardly, trying to gather his thoughts. “...How are you?” 

He inwardly cringed at his question while Peter answered just as awkwardly, “I’m f-fine.”

Tony nodded his head in acknowledgment and the two were silent again. The tension in the room was uncomfortable and he couldn’t find a way to dissipate it except for diving right in. “Peter,” he started feebly, after several strained minutes.. “It’s been five days.”

The young man looked down at his hands. “I-I know, To-Mr. Stark.” 

Tony gave him a pleading gaze. “Please, Pete. You have to tell me what’s going on. I’m losing my mind over here.” He gave a halfhearted chuckle to show his lack of concern, but he wasn’t fooling anyone.

Peter glanced up at him quickly and Tony could see the silver lining his eyes. He knew that Peter was close to tears. “I-I know. And I’m s-sorry. But… I can’t.”

Tony looked on helplessly as Peter dissolved into a sniveling mess, tears spilling from his eyes and leaving damp spots on the comforter. “Is it something I did?”

“Y-Yes...No. I d-don't know anymore.”

That didn’t help at all and Tony had no idea what he should do. He knew what he wanted to do, though. He wanted to run over to the bed and scoop Peter up into his arms and soothe his tears away. But there was this distance between them and he didn’t know how to cross it-or if he even could. 

So, he waited. It seemed that was all he ever did these days. 

Tony waited for Peter’s sobs to subside into soft sniffles before he hesitantly took a step closer, testing the waters. When Peter made no indication that he minded the closer proximity, Tony said, “Please. Please just tell me what’s going on.”

Peter simply shook his head, refusing to meet Tony’s eyes. But the older man was stubborn and wouldn’t back down that easily. “I’m not leaving until you give me something,” he said, his voice growing louder with his rising anger and frustration. “You disappeared for _two weeks_ and I had no idea how to bring you back or if it was even possible. Then, you magically reappear and let everyone else see you except for _me_?”

He was basically yelling now and he probably shouldn’t be lest he wake the others, but he didn’t care. Peter was gone and he was a wreck. “Did you think I wouldn’t care,” he continued, his tone accusatory. “Did you think I would forget about you?”

Peter was silent and wouldn’t even look him in the eyes. And that pissed him off. “ _Fuck_ ,” he swore, running his hands through his hair. “You told me you loved me, Peter! Was that just a joke? Were you lying when you said that?”

Quietly-almost too quiet to hear-Peter whispered the words, “I wasn’t lying.”

The room descended into silence and Tony let out a breath. He didn’t know what to say. 

Peter loved him. _Peter loved him_. Tony could feel the words he had been waiting to say for several weeks now on the tip of his tongue, ready to burst forward. But he held them back. He didn’t want to further scare the young man who already looked terrified. But of _what_? It was driving him crazy. 

He heard a small sigh and his eyes locked onto Peter who was fiddling anxiously with his hands. “I went to a different dimension,” he whispered and Tony held his breath.

“I had a different life. I wasn’t Spider-Man, the Avengers didn’t exist, and my parents and Uncle Ben were still alive.” Peter gave a watery chuckle and Tony stared on sympathetically. He knew that Peter missed his family, but he thought that the Avengers had become something resembling a family over the years. He hoped that Peter felt the same. 

“I was so _happy_ ,” Peter continued, breaking Tony from his thoughts. “I didn’t remember this dimension. I didn’t remember that my parents died or that I was Spider-Man or that I had turned to dust or that-”

“ _I_ even existed,” Tony interrupted. 

Peter opened his mouth, ready to protest, but Tony waved his hand and said, “Look. I get it-really, I do. You were happier in the other dimension and seeing me only reminds you of the pain and suffering you felt in this one.”

“But, I-”

“I’m sorry you came back to this dimension,” Tony interrupted, his voice bitter and resentful. “I’m sorry you couldn’t stay in that other one where it was all sunshine and rainbows and you could be happy without me messing everything up.”

And he was sorry. He wanted Peter to be happy-that’s all he would ever want. He just wished that Peter could be happy with _him_. 

Tony walked towards the door, placing a hand on the knob, ready to leave. He didn’t want to stay any longer when he just reminded Peter of the pain and loss he had to endure in this dimension. “I guess I better get going. I only wanted to know that you were alright.”

“Tony!”

He paused and turned slowly to look at Peter who had gotten out of his bed and was now only a few feet away. Tony had to suppress a shudder. It felt like an eternity ago since they had been this close to each other. He missed Peter so _goddamn much_. He didn’t know if he would be able to stay away from him. 

But all thoughts flew out of his head when Peter took a step closer and said, “I don’t want to go back to that other dimension.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, thoroughly confused. He could feel a glimmer of hope within him and he tried to stamp it down. He didn’t want false-

“We were together,” Peter said suddenly and Tony closed his eyes. He had expected this after his conversation with the wizard. He knew that his Peter would be with another Tony Stark and the thought made his heart twist painfully. 

“It was great,” Peter continued, each word driving another dagger through Tony’s chest. “You were so carefree and kind and honest and,” Peter sucked in a breath. “Perfect.”

Tony forced a smile that was probably more a showing of teeth than anything else. “Fantastic,” he said sarcastically, trying not to grimace.

But Peter saw right through him. He always did. “What I’m trying to say is that he wasn’t you.”

Tony released the knob from his hand and allowed both of his arms to dangle uselessly next to him. 

“Don’t you get it,” Peter asked him, his eyes wide and pleading, filled with emotion Tony couldn’t name. “I don’t want to go back because _you_ won’t be there.”

“Then why didn't you want to see me?”

Peter lowered his head and his shoulders hunched together, as though trying to make himself as small as possible. “Because I was ashamed of what I did with the other Tony Stark,” Peter whispered quietly. 

He clenched his hands into fists, angered as unwanted images of another touching _his_ Peter came unbidden into his mind, even if it was himself. He would make sure to erase their touch completely. 

He could feel his mind cloud over as it slipped into a heady daze, his eyes gliding over Peter’s body. This was the first time in weeks that he had seen the young man and now that Peter was so close to him, he wanted to commit the image to memory. 

Peter had opted to sleep in an overly large shirt that stopped at his mid thighs and a pair of boxers. Tony scrutinized the t-shirt, trying to remember why the clothing seemed so familiar. As he read the faded words “I survived my trip to NYC” and saw the cartoon yellow taxi cab underneath the print, he realized that Peter was wearing the shirt Tony had bought for him after he took his suit away. He smiled.

Following the man’s gaze, Peter looked downwards at the shirt and a faint blush painted his cheeks and he shrugged. Embarrassed at having been caught, he muttered sheepishly, “I couldn’t get rid of it.”

A more primitive part of Tony was rather pleased that Peter had kept the shirt that he had given to him after all of these years. He nodded in acknowledgment to show his approval as he took a step closer, enjoying the sounds of Peter’s breath hitching in his throat when they were less than a foot apart. 

Slowly, so as not to frighten Peter, he placed a hand on his cheek, his calloused fingers brushing over the soft, smooth skin, reveling in the touch. Peter’s eyes fluttered close and his lips parted tantalizingly. Tony wanted nothing more than to taste them, but he had to be patient. He wanted Peter to say the words. He would not initiate anything he couldn’t stop until he was asked to. 

“Did you do this with him,” he asked, his voice gruff as though he hadn’t spoken in months rather than minutes. 

At his question, Peter’s eyes snapped open and he looked at the older man, confusion in his gaze. “Did you do this with the other Tony Stark,” he clarified. And to prove his point, his thumb made a slow drag down Peter’s cheeks, grazing the younger man’s lips only slightly. 

The motion seemed to register within Peter and he stumbled for an answer that wouldn’t anger Tony. “I-I didn’t… I m-mean… I thought…”

Tony didn’t give Peter the chance to voice a coherent answer because he had already moved on, his other hand now finding a place at Peter’s side, his long, thick fingers spanning over half of his narrow waist. Tony’s grip tightened only slightly when he asked, “How about this? Did you do this with him?”

He watched with delight as Peter’s body began to shudder and his knees quiver. “I-I… um…”

Tony chuckled and knew that Peter was very close to breaking. He had been taking advantage of the younger man’s heightened senses, but he didn’t feel the least bit of regret. He would do whatever it took to make Peter writhing and begging underneath him. He had waited long enough. 

So, Tony went for the move he knew would make Peter crumble. 

The hand that had been on his cheek, slowly slid upwards until it was resting on top of Peter’s head. The young spider must have realized what was coming because he angled his head closer towards Tony, silently asking for more. But that would not do. Tony wanted to hear the words. So he brushed his fingers through Peter’s hair, occasionally tugging on a few golden brown strands. He gave a knowing smirk when Peter’s eyes fluttered closed once more and small whimpers escaped past his full lips. 

Tony remembered the first time he had done this. He had been ashamed and disgusted with himself. He felt guilty that he had taken advantage of Peter’s heightened senses and he had been appalled to discover that he had been attracted to his mentee and a young man practically a third of his age. 

Things have certainly changed. 

“What about this,” Tony asked, loving the way Peter fidgeted and shuddered underneath his possessive touch. “Does he know that this alone can make you come?”

When Peter remained inarticulate, a particularly sharp tug caused the young man to let out a whine and say “Ah… N-No. Only… only y-you.”

Tony let out a hum in approval as the hand that wasn’t in Peter’s hair slowly dragged down his side. Even with the fabric of the t-shirt hindering the sensation, Tony could still feel Peter’s slight frame wrapped in lean muscle, blazing with heat. He couldn’t wait to run his fingers over the bare skin, to explore every inch of it. And then follow it with his tongue. 

“T-Tony…”

The older man smiled when Peter began to call out his name, the desperation obvious in his voice. Tony could feel a growing tightness in his pants, but he refused to act on his arousal until he heard the words from Peter himself. He tugged on Peter’s hair-not enough to cause pain, but enough to show who was in charge-until Peter was forced to tilt his head back to look the older man in the eyes.

“What is it that you want, Peter?”

Tony raised his eyebrows in a challenge, teasing the young spider while his hand continued to make tantalizing drags down Peter’s side who trembled violently, but still remained inarticulate. 

Tony sighed dramatically. He wasn’t actually irritated with Peter-in fact, he was completely entranced by the young man. And Tony would show him just how entranced he was, as soon as Peter said the words he needed to hear. 

Taking things a step further, Tony let his hand drift downwards until it found the hem of Peter’s shirt and carefully began to lift it upwards, revealing pale, smooth skin that looked absolutely delicious. His fingers deliberately brushed against the bare skin and Peter immediately arched into the touch, as though he was starving for it. 

“P-Please, Tony… I-I need…”

Tony smirked as he leaned forward, his face only inches away from Peter’s. He memorized every minuscule detail, completely in awe with the young spider’s beauty. “What do you need?”

Tony gave one last sharp tug on his hair and watched as Peter’s last remnants of self-control shattered into a billion pieces. “Y-You,” he panted, his breath shallow and rapid. “I n-need you… please…”

Fuck. How could he say no to that?

There was no hiding the evident bulge in his pants and he made no plans to. Rather, he wrapped his arms around Peter’s waist, pulling his lean frame against his own, allowing Peter to feel his arousal pressed against his chest. He almost groaned at the delicious friction and pressured that the tight hold created. 

He could tell that Peter was nervous, hesitant about what he should and shouldn’t do. So, Tony grabbed both of his wrists and guided Peter’s hands to settle around his neck. He delighted in the slender fingers that gently pulled the hair at the nape of his neck, tugging him closer. Tony willingly obliged, leaning down so that their lips could meet in the most delicate of touches. And it was heaven. 

The kiss was timid at first, as though they were trying to learn each other again after so long. But once the initial nerves had subsided, the kiss grew to be one of a fiery passion, each desperately clinging to the other, the need and want apparent in both. Peter tasted delicious and his lips were velvety soft as they molded to Tony’s and he groaned when the young man hesitantly opened up for him, allowing their tongues to slide together in a sensuous dance that left both of their knees weak. 

Tony was determined to rid all memories of the other Tony Stark’s touch from Peter’s mind until there was only _him_. And he set about doing just that as his hands travelled down Peter’s body, enjoying the shivers his touch elicited.

Tony could feel Peter’s smaller erection pressing eagerly on his thigh as the young spider began to instinctively thrust into his leg, only to let out a frustrated noise at the layers of fabric stopping him from feeling the skin on skin contact they both desperately craved. Tony chuckled lightly against Peter’s lips and his mouth ventured downwards, trailing along Peter’s jaw line and moving towards his ear to nibble at the sensitive skin, causing Peter to release a loud moan that made him smile. Tony was thankful that he had chosen to make the guest bedrooms in his penthouse sound proof. 

“T-Tony… _please_...” 

The older man smirked at the other’s desperate plea. Peter had dissolved into a shaking and stuttering mess and he knew that if they continued at this pace, the young man would be coming much too soon for his liking. Tony wanted to drag this out, make the night memorable so that Peter’s every thought was of him and him alone. 

He carefully guided Peter backwards towards the king size bed that Peter had once protested was too big for him, but Tony had refused to give him anything less. Gently, Tony laid Peter down on his back, slowly climbing on top of him, making sure that his weight was not crushing the younger man, but was just enough to hint at what would be taking place soon-very soon if the painful erection in his pants was any indication.

Tony leaned down and kissed Peter again, deeply and earnestly, wanting his emotions to be conveyed with no reservation. Peter returned in kind, wrapping his arms around Tony’s back, his fingers trailing the muscles over the fabric of his shirt with an expression that could only be described as awe and Tony gave a satisfied smirk. The other Tony Stark might have been carefree and kind, but he had years of fighting and training to hone his muscular body into something that had been described several times as godlike in the tabloids. He would be sure to show Peter the difference. 

Without his lips leaving Peter’s, he slowly reached down and dragged the shirt up until Peter’s chest was exposed to the cool air. Tony sucked in a breath when he saw the pale, smooth skin that was revealed to him and his heart did a flip inside his chest when he took in the dusty pink nipples that looked absolutely delicious. 

As though sensing where Tony’s thoughts were leading, Peter tugged at the older man’s hair, urging his head downwards to taste and Tony eagerly obliged. His lips leaving the other, he trailed down Peter’s neck, shoulder blade, and chest, sucking and biting until his mouth reached Peter’s nipple. At the first flick of his tongue against the sensitive bud, Peter let out a low moan and arched his back, as though offering himself up to Tony who took full advantage. 

He did not rush, wanting to savor the taste, licking and sucking the nipple. Only when it was a bright red and covered in his saliva did he move onto the other, applying the same technique, enjoying the whimpers he extracted from Peter’s lips. 

“Ah… _Tony_...”

He knew that Peter would not last, so he paused in his ministrations in favor of ridding Peter of his clothes, starting with the overly large shirt. Once that had been removed, Peter was left with just his boxers. Tony glanced down, smirking when he realized that the clothing was adorned with small Iron Mans. He raised an eyebrow teasingly at Peter, whose blush only deepened, which Tony found absolutely endearing. But as much as he loved the image of Peter wearing Iron Man boxers, those would have to go. 

He leisurely moved down Peter’s body, aware of the young man’s eyes on him the entire time. His hands reached for the hem of the boxers, his fingers slipping underneath and caressing the skin there, causing Peter to quiver violently. He gave a satisfied smirk at seeing the dark stain on the front of the cloth, along with the fairly obvious arousal. Tony slowly dragged down the boxers, watching Peter’s expression carefully for any signs of hesitation, but he only saw heady lust. 

Once Peter was completely bare and the boxers were discarded to some corner of the room, Tony heaved raggedly.

Peter was beautiful. Completely and utterly beautiful. Every inch of his soft, smooth skin was perfect. And Peter was all his. 

He made to settle himself over the young man, ready to quite literally blow Peter’s mind, but the small hand on his chest stopped him and he looked up. For a moment, he thought he had done something horribly wrong and it was something they would never be able to recover from, but Peter still had that intoxicating gaze. There was just a hint of amusement in his eyes now and Tony looked at him questioningly as Peter sat up, forcing him to as well. 

Peter breathed rapidly as he tugged at Tony’s own shirt and the older man knew what Peter wanted. Without any preamble, he pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it next to Peter’s discarded boxers, leaving his chest bare except for the nanoparticle housing unit that he hadn’t taken off for several weeks. Not thinking about it, he tapped the center and the unit popped off, landing in his hand. 

He glanced down at it briefly, feeling suddenly much more exposed than he wanted to be, but he pushed past that as he set the unit on the nightstand. There was a charged silence as Tony allowed Peter to explore his chest, a privilege he had given to very few over the years. 

Peter was tentative at first, his fingers gliding over his scarred skin with delicate grazes. But that alone was enough to rekindle Tony’s searing arousal. When the young man grew more confident, his touches were no longer whispers, but sensual strokes across the upper half of his body and Tony had to hold himself back from ravishing Peter in that moment. 

Tony let this go on for a few minutes before a particularly long drag down his abdomen, ending painfully close to where he needed Peter the most, caused him to lose the tenuous grasp he had on his restraint. With a growl that was more animal than man, Tony pushed Peter backwards until he was lying down on his back, flushed and utterly delectable. 

He placed his mouth against the delicate skin of Peter’s neck before descending, relishing the noises he was able to draw from Peter with his teeth, tongue, and lips. Once he reached Peter’s toned abdomen, Tony followed the faint trail of hair downwards…

Peter truly was beautiful. In every sense of the word. But when his lips first tasted Peter’s length, he could feel the young man tense underneath him, obviously nervous. Tony soothed his hands over Peter’s thighs, pausing in his actions to allow time for Peter to adjust to the sensation. When he could feel the muscles underneath his fingers relax, Tony put his mouth around Peter again, sucking and licking with a fervent eagerness. It was as though Peter was his drug and he was the addict that could never stop. 

“T-Tony- _ah_... please… I-I need- _ugh_...”

He slipped off of Peter and looked up to see that the young man was staring at him with such emotion, clouded over by a desperation that did nothing to help the tightening in his pants. He gave a sinful smile. “I know what you need.”

As much as he hated to stop his current… _activity_ , there were more pressing matters to attend to-like the way Peter was spreading his legs, a silent invitation for Tony to take what he wanted. And the older man was never one to refuse an invitation, especially not one as enticing as that. 

He could feel Peter’s eyes on him the entire time as Tony sat up only to pull off his pants and boxers in one swift move before settling back over Peter. Both men groaned at the new sensations of skin-on-skin contact. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” he ground out when Peter made a hesitant thrust upwards with his hips, allowing both of their lengths to slide together in a movement that should be considered a sin. 

His heart was pounding rapidly and he had to take measured, steady breaths to calm himself enough to regain control of his baser functions. As much as he wanted to ravage Peter completely and take what he had been needing for so long, he absolutely refused to hurt the younger man. He had to make sure that Peter enjoyed this as much as he was, and in order for that to happen, he had to be able to restrain himself-it was just a much harder task now that Peter had started to pepper his chest with light, teasing kisses that made him groan aloud. 

“God, Peter,” he said with gasping breaths. “If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to control myself.”

Peter stopped for a moment, looking up at him with a scandalous smile that promised nothing but trouble. “Good.”

Tony closed his eyes, feeling another flare of arousal course throughout his body, pooling straight to his length that was already throbbing painfully. “Are you sure about that?”

The question was meant to be teasing, but there was a deeper meaning behind it. This was Peter’s last chance to back away, pretend none of this ever happened-and Tony was offering it to him. But what Peter said made the older man fall for him even more. “Absolutely.”

And to strengthen his answer, Peter slipped his hand between their bodies and grabbed ahold of Tony’s length, his thumb brushing over the tip in a titillating way that caused him to let out a low growl. Peter’s soft fingers gripped him firmly in response and began to slowly move in a way that had Tony thrusting his hips within seconds. 

“Peter,” he grunted in warning, when the younger man’s fingers tightened ever so slightly, increasing the delicious pressure and friction he had been craving for what felt like an eternity. Tony could feel his end approaching and he gritted his teeth. He couldn’t let this stop here. There were so many more things he wanted to do before the night was over. 

He gently grabbed Peter’s wrist and pulled it away from his length, smiling at the sound of protest that came from the younger man. Tony grabbed Peter’s other wrist and pinned them both above his head with one hand, loving the way Peter’s breath hitched at having been trapped underneath the older man in such a vulnerable state. They both knew that Peter could easily break the hold on him if he wanted to, but there was a deep trust the two shared, earned over several years of fighting side by side. They both knew that Tony would rather kill himself then see any harm come to Peter and vice versa.

“T-There’s lube,” Peter whispered, breaking the intense and meaningful gaze they had been trapped under. “I-In the…bottom drawer.”

Tony raised an eyebrow, surprised that Peter would keep such a thing in his bedroom and the younger man blushed profusely. “I-I’ve… tried it. B-By myself,” he stumbled through an explanation. “But.. I c-couldn’t-I mean. It wasn’t…g-good.”

Tony halted, all humor lost and he looked at Peter seriously. “You and that carbon copy didn’t have sex, yet?”

The younger man’s face only burned a deeper crimson as he stammered, “N-No. I…d-didn’t want to.” He paused, his brow scrunching in concentration as he tried to explain. “I think…some p-part of me thought that…it was s-supposed to be y-you.”

A wide, unabashed smile appeared on Tony’s lips and he surged forward, kissing Peter with as much passion and emotion he could gather that would express on some level how much he truly cared for Peter. As their tongues danced together and their moans grew in pitch and volume, Tony leaned over to blindly grab for the drawer of the nightstand for the lube. He opened the container quickly and dipped his fingers inside, coating the digits in the substance before moving his hand downward and pressing the first finger against Peter’s hole. 

The young man immediately whimpered, his arms straining against Tony’s hand as he began to work his finger slowly and gently inside, searching for that one spot he knew would make Peter crumble. After a few moments, his finger brushed an inner wall and Tony heard a soft hitching of breath. He caressed that spot again and Peter instinctively thrust into the movement and Tony smiled. 

From then on, he hit Peter’s prostate every stroke, adding a second and third finger as the younger man’s moans became more frequent and his thrusts more erratic. 

“T-Tony,” Peter whimpered, his body covered with a thin sheen of sweat and his length slick with arousal. “ _Please_...”

Tony wasn’t in a much better state and his control was slipping with every whine that passed Peter’s plump lips. He knew that the younger man was prepared and he couldn’t stand to wait any longer. 

He spread lube on himself before lining his length against Peter’s hole. He pressed gently against the muscle and groaned as he slowly slid inside, overwhelming heat surrounding him. 

“ _F-Fuck_ , Peter…” The younger man was so tight and _perfect_. 

Tony continued to push further and deeper until he was fully seated inside and the air was knocked out of his lungs. Peter felt _amazing_ and he had to clench his jaw to stop from thrusting forcefully. Tony didn’t want to hurt him.

So lost in concentration, he didn’t notice when Peter had wrapped his legs around his waist and pushed his hips upwards experimentally, allowing Tony to move further inside and he moaned lowly. “ _Jesus_...”

Peter looked at him with wide, chocolate eyes and said, “P-Please… move, Tony…”

He did not have to be told twice.

Tony began to thrust with long, deep, exquisite strokes that made them both cry out loudly. He had forgotten all about keeping Peter’s wrists above his head and those small, slender fingers had found their way to Tony’s back, nails biting into the skin, urging him to move faster and harder. 

Their bodies rolled together like the undulating sea and with each thrust, Tony could feel himself moving closer and closer to his end, but he wanted Peter to reach his first. Tony wrapped his hand around the younger man’s length and began to stroke him, while still pounding into him with an unrelenting force. The whimpers that sounded in the room spurred him onwards and one particularly hard stroke that brushed against Peter’s prostate had the younger man crying out and emptying into Tony’s hand. 

Seeing Peter below him, face flushed and breathing heavily, had him reaching his end seconds later and he shuddered violently from the feeling of Peter’s muscles spasming around him.

Once completely drained, he pulled out and collapsed onto the bed, his body suddenly tired. He tugged Peter against him, settling his chin above the younger man’s head and wrapping his arm around Peter’s waist tightly. He smiled lazily when he felt small hands rest against his chest and legs tangle with his own. 

It was there in the peaceful silence of the night that Tony whispered the words he had kept hidden inside his heart.

“I love you, Peter Parker.”

But he didn’t know if the younger man had heard him because he had already drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! It took a long time leading up to this moment, but I hope the wait was worth it! As I said before, I have never written this kind of explicit scene before, so go easy on me! But I would love to hear what everyone thought! Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> So... let me know what you all thought! It’s a bit of a shorter chapter, but I promise they will get longer. I understand the possible confusion of that last section, but it will begin to make sense as we progress through the story, so hang in there!
> 
> For those of you who are patiently waiting for Peter and Tony to get together, that reunion will NOT be at the end of the story! It’s actually going to take place in the next couple of chapters! *wink wink* As always, leave kudos/comments! Until next time!


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